Education is one of the essential needs of a human being. Everyone should have the privilege of education. In some regions, education was denied to certain people because of discrimination based on caste and skin color. Now that everyone has the right to education, it still makes no difference. In the past 2 decades, education has become so expensive that it has become unaffordable to many. At such times, how will you feel? If someone tells you that your courses will be tuition-free or more affordable. Yes, finally people are acknowledging this situation. Some countries are directing their efforts toward relieving the plight of people, for whom affording education has become hard. In this article, we will see the efforts made by one such state, Arizona. In this article we shall see if Is Education free in Arizona?
Yes, education is free in Arizona for students with low-income families from Arizona, foster students, and students whose parents died in the line of duty. This is made possible by some programs and college initiatives. Students who don’t fall under this category can also earn a scholarship, starting from their high school through programs like ‘ Raiseme ‘.
So let’s go through some colleges and their programs offering financial support to their students.
Arizona State University
The first name that will pop into our minds, when we are talking about universities in Arizona is the ‘ Arizona State University ‘. Arizona State University is known for its innovations and good-quality education. While maintaining the quality they don’t lack in providing support and mentorship for the students as it has a low student-to-faculty ratio. The University also acknowledges the fact that they might miss taking some deserving students on board just because they can’t afford the tuition fee. So they have multiple programs that make the availability of courses for the students tuition-free. Which are as follows-
ASU College Attainment Grant Program
This program is for the residents of Arizona. This program provides financial support to the low-income families of Arizona to provide them access to the top-quality courses provided by the university. To become eligible for this program you must check the below steps.
° You are an inhabitant of Arizona or you meet the Arizona residency criteria.
° You should enroll at ASU before the fall term starts.
° You are qualified to receive a pell grant.
° You have submitted your FAFSA and have a complete ASU admission application on file before the deadline.
Note – Selected students will get a relaxation of fees for 8 semesters.
The Obama Scholars Program
This program is for talented students who have all the leadership qualities but belong to low-income families in Arizona. We rarely get to see leadership qualities in students at that age, students possessing such qualities are capable of making a good change in society. This program makes sure that such students are not left behind just because of financial conditions. Getting admitted to ASU doesn’t mean you are eligible for this program, you need to check the below points.
° You are a resident of Arizona or you meet the Arizona residency criteria.
° You should enroll at ASU before the fall term starts.
° You should be able to verify a total annual family income of $42,400 or less on FAFSA. Assets are also considered for eligibility.
° You are qualified to receive a pell grant.
° You have submitted your FAFSA and have a complete ASU admission application on file before the deadline.
Note – Selected students will get a relaxation of fees for 8 semesters. There is no certainty of being placed in the program even after all the criteria are met, this program gets closed as the funding is limited.
•Arizona Promise Program – This program is for the residents of Arizona. It helps students with the remaining fees that are not covered by the other financial assistance programs. Eligibility criteria for it are as follows.
° You are a resident of Arizona and graduated from high school with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
° Qualify for the maximum federal pell Grant.
°Completion of FAFSA application on time.
- Arizona Foster Youth Award – this program is for foster children. Arizona Foster Youth Award offers tuition-free courses to them.
- Western Undergraduate Exchange – They don’t fail to provide financial assistance to non-residents. Residents of western can enroll in the Western Undergraduate Exchange.
Central Arizona College
One more college taking initiative is Central Arizona College. The Pinal County residents are offered tuition-free courses for the academic year 2021-2022 through this initiative.
In which colleges should I enroll?
There are 3 colleges you can enroll in-
- Arizona State University – This university also has some other programs providing financial assistance, which are mentioned above.
- The University of Arizona – This is a public research university. It is one of the universities, that are part of the association with American University and University researcher association. Other than ‘Arizona Promise Program ‘, there are some merit-based scholarships available for deserving students to grab. Also, the University’s intake of international students is decent.
- Northern Arizona University – This is one of the well-known research universities in Arizona.
The best thing about ‘Arizona Promise Program’ is that the funding is not limited. If you meet all the criteria, there’s a guarantee you will be placed in this program. This makes it different from other programs. There are limited funds available for some programs.
More details about the Arizona Promise program are mentioned above in the article.
Does the Financial Assistance Program cover the study abroad program?
No, study abroad programs or summer tuition fees are not covered under any programs. There are universities like ASU which offer sponsorship for one study abroad program.
Is Arizona good for International Students?
Arizona is one of the most affordable states to live in. It has been a tourist attraction as it is home to one of the seven wonders. If you are an international student, education will be a lot more expensive for you than for the residents of Arizona. This will be a tricky decision to take. For colleges like Arizona State University which is well known for its top-quality education, you might want to settle for that amount of fees. There are Non-Resident programs that provide financial assistance available. The living cost in Arizona is affordable too. Considering all the above points it won’t be a bad idea if an International student chooses to enroll at the University of Arizona.
The education industry is a business in today’s world. It is the result of the privatization of universities. But some countries are now admitting their negligence. In the future, there will be more programs that will make education affordable. Soon it will be a trend of tuition-free education and students won’t face the obstacles to access to education because of poor financial conditions.
The programs and college initiatives offering financial assistance by providing scholarships and tuition-free courses are just for the residents of Arizona. So, Education is free in Arizona for residents of Arizona only, and that too for certain students.
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